What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Aircraft departed Greensboro, NC international airport for a local sight seeing flight at approximately 9:50 am local. privacy data omitted Was pilot in command and his nephew privacy data omitted was sitting in the co-pilots seat. The pilot privacy data omitted acknowledged using the main fuel tanks for takeoff and switched both engines to the auxiliary tanks shortly thereafter. privacy data omitted Was then allowed to manipulate the controls for a short period. The pilot privacy data omitted then took the controls and privacy data omitted acknowledged. One engine lost power and the pilot privacy data omitted had difficulty identifying which engine was losing power. He believed the right engine was experiencing problems and switched the right fuel selector to what he thought was the right main tank. Investigation and the pilots statement revealed that the right engine fuel selector was moved past the main tank to the crossfeed position. The left engine fuel selector remained in the aux tank position. The right engine then lost power and the pilot decided that he would forego trying to determine the engine problem and selected a landing site approximately 11 miles east of the Greensboro airport. That site was a landfill resulting in causing extensive damage to the aircraft.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) AIRCRAFT DEPARTED GREENSBORO, NC INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT FOR A LOCAL SIGHT SEEING FLIGHT AT APPROXIMATELY 9:50 AM LOCAL. ^PRIVACY D^ WAS PILOT IN COMMAND AND HIS NEPHEW ^PRIVACY DATA^ WAS SITTING IN THE CO-PILOTS SEAT. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY D^ ACKNOWLEDGED USING THE MAIN FUEL TANKS FOR TAKEOFF AND SWITCHED BOTH ENGINES TO THE AUXILIARY TANKS SHORTLY THEREAFTER. ^PRIVACY DATA^ WAS THEN ALLOWED TO MANIPULATE THE CONTROLS FOR A SHORT PERIOD. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY D^ THEN TOOK THE CONTROLS AND ^PRIVACY DATA^ ACKNOWLEDGED. ONE ENGINE LOST POWER AND THE PILOT ^PRIVACY D^ HAD DIFFICULTY IDENTIFYING WHICH ENGINE WAS LOSING POWER. HE BELIEVED THE RIGHT ENGINE WAS EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS AND SWITCHED THE RIGHT FUEL SELECTOR TO WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS THE RIGHT MAIN TANK. INVESTIGATION AND THE PILOTS STATEMENT REVEALED THAT THE RIGHT ENGINE FUEL SELECTOR WAS MOVED PAST THE MAIN TANK TO THE CROSSFEED POSITION. THE LEFT ENGINE FUEL SELECTOR REMAINED IN THE AUX TANK POSITION. THE RIGHT ENGINE THEN LOST POWER AND THE PILOT DECIDED THAT HE WOULD FOREGO TRYING TO DETERMINE THE ENGINE PROBLEM AND SELECTED A LANDING SITE APPROXIMATELY 11 MILES EAST OF THE GREENSBORO AIRPORT. THAT SITE WAS A LANDFILL RESULTING IN CAUSING EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N5606S · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.